Stand-off guide for antenna cables



Jan. 3, 1961 D. F. GARMAN STAND-OFF GUIDE FOR ANTENNA CABLES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1958 I} Iv INVENTOR. DONALD F. GARMAN BY{7 I WM L], W

ATTORNE Jan. 3, 1961 n. F. GARMAN STAND-OFF GUIDE FOR ANTENNA CABLES 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1958 INVENTOR.

AN M- N Am ATTORNEY DONALD F. GARM W United States Patent STAND-OFFGUIDE FOR ANTENNA CABLES Donald F. Garman, Toledo, Ohio, assignor toPrestole Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Michigan Filed June10, 1958, Ser. No. 741,036

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-231) This invention relates to sheet metal fastenersbut particularly to clips for mounting a standoff screw of the typeemployed for attaching the cable in spaced relation to the antenna mast.

An object is to produce a new and improved clip for mounting a stand-01fscrew on a mast, which can be removed from the clip and if desired,applied to wooden structures, thereby enabling the same screw to be usedin either case.

Another object is to produce a new and improved clip for a stand-oilscrew which can be efficiently produced from a single piece of sheetmetal at low cost and formed readily and conveniently with the desiredscrew-engaging threaded means.

A further object is to produce a sheet metal clip of the above characterhaving the new and improved features of construction, arrangement andoperation hereinafter described and, for purposes of illustration butnot of limitation, embodiments of the invention are shown in theaccompanying drawings in which Figure l is a perspective view of astand-off guide for antenna cables applied to a mast;

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing in plan the standoff clip appliedto the mast;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the stand-offclip;

Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 but showing the opposite side of theclip;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken onthe line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view substantially on the line 6-6 ofFigure 3;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevation showing another torm ofattaching the metal band to the clip;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view on a line 88 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing an alternate form ofconnecting the metal strap to the clip;

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 10-10 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of another form of clip, the screw andband being omitted;

Figure 12 is a plan view of the blank from which the clip of Figure 11is formed;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a still further form of clip; and

Figure 14 is a plan View of the blank from which the clip of Figure 13is formed.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises an antenna mast Mto which is applied a sheet metal clip 10 with which, as willhereinafter be described, the standoflt S screw-threadedly engages. Theclip 10 has a fiat end panel 11 formed with a nut impression 12 whichmay be in the form of the well known Prestole. Integral with oppositesides of the end panel 11 are converging side walls 13 which terminatein parallel abutting wall portions 14 and 14a. Formed in the wallportion 14 adjacent the respective inclined side wall 13 is a laterallyPatented Jan. 3, 1961 elongate slot 15. Directly opposed to the slot 15and formed in the wall portion is a pair of vertically spaced parallelslits 16 which provide therebetween an integral relatively narrow strip17. The strip 17 is bowed to extend through and slightly beyond the slot15, particularly as shown in Figure 5. A similar slot 18 is formed inthe wall portion 14a directly adjacent to but slightly below the slot14. In the wall portion 14 there is a single slit 19 disposed slightlybelow the lowermost of the slits 16. This provides a similar strip 26)which as shown is bowed to extend through and slightly beyond the slot18. Thus the bowed strips 17 and 20 provide a guide through which thestand-01f S extends and firmly embraces the same as will more fully behereinafter de scribed.

Integral with the lower ends of the wall portions 14 and 14a areconvergent terminal arm portions 21 and 22 respectively. Theseconvergent arm members partially embrace or straddle the mast M as shownin Figures 1 and 2. A flexible metal strap 23 has one end secured to theoutside of the arm member 21. As shown, in Figures 3 and 6, there is aslot 24 in the strap 23 and integral and struck from the arm member 21is a pair of ears 25 which extend through the slot 24 and are bent overas indicated on Figure 6.

In the arms 21 and 22 are slots 26 through which the strap 23 isthreaded, particularly as indicated in Figure 2. The portion of thestrap between these slots is engaged by the stand-cit S. It will beobserved that the stand-elf has a tapered shank formed with wood screwthreads and the end is pointed to engage the strap portion and force itagainst the outside of the mast end. As usual in 7 these cases thestand-01f has a loop head H in which an insulating disc D is secured,the disc being slotted to enable the ribbon-like antenna cabe to pass.

An alternate form of anchoring the end of the strap is shown in Figures7 and 8 in which the arm member 21a is secured to the strap 23a by arivet 27.

Figures 9 and 10 show a still further form of anchoring the strap to thearm member and in this form an integral rivet portion 28 is formed onthe arm member 21b. After the strap 23b is slipped over the rivet 23 thelatter is upset as shown in Figure 10, thereby securely to hold theparts together.

From the above description it will be manifest that stand-off S is firstbrought into threaded engagement with the nut impression 12 in the endwall 11 of the clip. It then passes in intimate engagement with thebowed strip members 17 and 20 which are spaced vertically from eachother a slight distance, thereby providing a supporting guide for thescrew. The screw may engage these bowed strip portions so intimately asto cut their own threads therein. In any event a binding action isachieved so as to secure y and unmistakably hold the screw in itsadjusted position.

An alternate form of the invention is shown on Figures ll and 12 inwhich the sheet metal body is in the form of a generally rectangularpiece of metal 30. Extending from one edge a little more than half waythrough and a line parallel to the side edge portion is a slit 31. Thisprovides on either side of the slit terminal arm portions 32 and 33 bentto the form shown in Figure 11. On the other portion of the sheet metal30 is a screwreceiving portion indicated at 34. At one edge of thescrew-receiving portion 34 in spaced reation is a pair of integrallaterally extending tabs 35 which, as will hereinafter be indicated, areadapted to be received in notches 36 arranged at the opposite edgeportion of the screw-receiving portion 34. Formed in the screw-receivingportion 34 are half threads 37 and 38 arranged in longitudinallyextending outwardly dished troughs running from end to end of theportion 34 so that when the sheet metal body 30 is bent or folded uponitself along the line determined by the slit 31, the half thread portions 37 and 38 will cooperate with each other to form a screw-receivingchannel in which the stand-off screw above described canscrew-th-readedly engage. Manifestly the threads may be formed in anysuitable manner. It may be rolled or pressed in the metal or as a matterof fact the threads may be tapped after the assembly is in its finalform.

It will be understood that after the sheet metal body is bent uponitself as above indicated so that the half portions of thethread-receiving portion 34 are in flat engagement with each other, thenthe tabs 35 are folded to lie and extend into the notches 36 so that theside edge thereof is substantially flush and uninterrupted. After thefold has been completed, then the terminal portions 32 and 33 may bebent in opposite directions to the position substantially as shown inFigure 11 and in such position as to straddle or partially embrace themast.

Each of the arms 32 and 33 has a transverse slot T for receiving aclamping strap as above described and these arms are also formed withholes H for anchoring one end of the clamping strap, thereby enablingthe clamping strap 23 to be anchored or secured in one hole or the otheras desired.

The form shown in Figures 13 and 14 is similar to that shown in Figures11 and 12 except in this form the sheet metal body piece 39 islongitudinally elongate and of generally rectangular form. A centraltransverse slot 49 is formed in this piece and on opposite sides of theslot and in alignment with each other are longitudinally alignedoutwardly dished screw thread portions 41 and 42 similar to the portions37 and 38 above described. It will be observed that at the outer endportion of the screw receiving portion 40 are laterally extending tabs43 and at the outer end of the other screw thread-receiw ing portion arenotches 44.

It will be apparent that when the sheet metal piece is folded uponitself along a line defined by the transverse slot 40, the threadportions 41 and 42 cooperate with each other to provide a threadedchannel for receiving the standoff screw as will be readily understood.At the outer end portions of the piece are the terminal arm portions 45and 46 which, as indicated in Figure 13, are bent outwardly at aninclined angle to straddle the mast to which the clip is attached. Thetabs 43 are bent about the body portion as indicated in Figure 13 so asto lie in the respective notches 44 and thereby hold the upper portionof the body in the desired position. The slot 40 will be opened by anysuitable tool into the desired rounded condition for receiving thestand-off screw. In the terminal arm portions 45 and 46 are transverseslots T for receiving the clamping band and also holes H in which theends of the clamping band may be selectively anchored as will be readilyunderstood.

It will be manifest from the above description that an exceedinglysimple body portion is formed which can be inexpensively fabricated on aproduction basis, thereby substantially reducing the cost both ofmanufacture and assembly of the device. Thus from a productionstandpoint and from the aspect of efliciency both in manufacture andassembly, the forms shown in Figures 11 and 12, as well as Figures 13and 14 are very desirable.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operationmay be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention,especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A stand-0E guide for antenna cables comprising an elongate sheetmetal body having a pair of plates in parallel face to face contact, anintegral bight portion joining said plates, outwardly dished elongatechannels in said plates cooperating to form a screw-receiving way, halfthreads on each channel for threadedly engaging a screw, integral tabson one plate extending over the outside of the other plate for retainingthe plates against spreading apart, and terminal arm portions integralwith said plates respectively and inclining convergently for embracingone side of a mast, said arm portions having strap-guiding slots.

2. A clip for mounting a stand-off screw on a mast comprising a singlepiece of sheet metal folded upon itself providing an upperscrew-receiving body part in which parts of the metal are in face toface contact throughout the length of such upper part, outwardly dishedthreaded portions extending from end to end of the upper part, meansholding the sections of the upper part in face to face contact, saidholding means comprising tab means on one of the upper body partsections overlapping the other part section, said other part sectionhaving notch means to receive the tab means, and convergent arm portionsconstituting the lower body part adapted to embrace one side of a mast.

3. A clip for mounting a stand-off screw on a mast comprising a singlepiece of sheet metal folded upon itself providing an upperscrew-receiving body part in which parts of the metal are in face toface contact throughout the length of such upper part, said piece ofsheet metal at one end being partially slitted to provide arm portions,said arm portions convergently extending to embrace one side of a mast,outwardly dished threaded portions extending from end to end of theupper part, and means holding the sections of the upper part in face toface contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS814,758 Williamson Mar. 13, 1906 2,682,609 Wampler June 29, 1954 FOREIGNPATENTS 13,357 Great Britain 1900

